Hi everybody and welcome. I can’t believe it’s been a year since the tragic events that unfolded on September 11. It was an event that changed our lives forever. It was an event that our grandchildren will be studying in their history books. More importantly, they will also be reading about how we wiped terrorism off the face of the earth one step at a time!
Here are some weather statistics in New York on September 11, 2001. The high temperature was 81.0 degrees and the low was 63. The average temperature for the day was 72 degrees. The highest wind gust on September 11 was 12 mph from the northwest. The air, of course, was laden with smoke and haze from the devastating fires at the Twin Towers.
This has been a very interesting week if you are a hurricane tracker. Tropical Storm Edourd was a forecasting nightmare if you worked for the Tropical Prediction Center but a joy for a hurricane tracker. The storm offered many challenges for the professional as well as the beginner. The storm developed just off the coast of Florida and then began its northern trip up the East Coast. It originally was supposed to hit Georgia or the Carolinas but then it suddenly stopped dead in its tracks. The storm began to meander and started to move somewhat to the East. A trough that was just to the north of the storm was then supposed to pick it up and pull it north. It seems the trough was just too weak to get Ed going and left him behind. Ed really had a hard time trying to decide which direction to go in. The steering currents were very weak so he just wandered in a loop until he finally advanced toward the Florida Coast. The only thing that saved us from having a major storm was a low-pressure system in the Gulf that was causing a lot of wind shear. The wind shear was blowing the thunderstorm tops off to the south keeping the center on the north side of the storm. Had the shear not existed, I believe we would have had a major storm. Soon after Edourd crossed Florida, Tropical Depression 6 formed in the Gulf. The tropics are heating up but the conditions seem somewhat hostile for major tropical development at this time. Keep in mind that could change rapidly.
Climatologically speaking, this August was much drier then last year at The Weather Central. I recorded only 3.9 inches of rainfall this year as compared to 15 inches last August! The high temperature this year was 95.5 degrees compared to 95.9 degrees last August. The high wind gust was15 mph and that occurred on August 8 at 2:32 pm. The highest wind gust last year was 20 mph on August 1st. The low temperature this year was 66.9 degrees on August 9th at 9:30 am. The lowest temperature I recorded last year was 70.0 degrees on August 1st. The yearly totals for rainfall this year are also lower. The year to date total so far this year is 35.48 inches as compared to 49.77 inches of rain last year at the same time. Much of this can be attributed to the El Nino cycle.
Here are some interesting hurricane facts! Did you know that the latest observed hurricane was on December 31, 1954? The storm was named Alice and it persisted as a hurricane until January 5, 1955! Did you know the latest hurricane ever to strike the U.S coast was on November 30, 1925? The storm made landfall near Tampa. This fact isn’t all that surprising but September has had more major hurricanes then all other months combined. One last fact, thirty six percent of all U.S. hurricanes hit Florida and seventy-six percent of category 4 or higher hurricanes striking the U.S. have hit either Florida or Texas.
Now on to the Time Capsule!
September l4 - l5, l960 -- West Florida -- Hurricane Ethel developed rapidly in the central Gulf of Mexico early on the l4th, intensified and moved northward with winds estimated at l25-l30 mph near the center late on the l4th. Ethel decreased in intensity before reaching the coast near the Alabama- Mississippi border on the 15th and no point on the Florida coast experienced hurricane force winds. Highest winds were near 50 mph in gusts at Pensacola and Apalachicola. Tides ranged from three to 4 feet. The right forward quadrant of this storm spawned several tornadoes, funnel clouds and waterspouts. Damages caused by this storm, other than those associated with the tornadoes, were mostly agricultural. Rainfall totals ranged from eight to l0 inches in the Pensacola area to 2 inches in the Tallahassee area. L5 l960 - 0540 - Bay Co., Springfield - A Tornado, spawned by Hurricane Ethel, unroofed or damaged 25 homes. Several other tornadoes and waterspouts were reported in the panhandle.
September 15, 1924 --Panhandle/northwest Florida - A hurricane made landfall near Port St. Joe.
September l5, l945 -- Homestead -- A hurricane entered the coast at Homestead, curving northward right up through the center of Florida, remaining over land, and exited near Jacksonville Beach. Three Navy blimp hangars that were used as evacuation shelters for 25 Navy blimps, l83 military planes, l53 civilian planes and l50 automobiles were destroyed Richmond, Florida. The three great hangars were torn to pieces at the height of the storm, then caught fire and burned with all their contents. Hurricane force winds were felt as far inland as the Orlando and Ocala areas. Four deaths were attributed to this storm.
September l5-30, l994 -- Peninsular Florida -- Flooding - Two synoptic-scale systems, one tropical and one non-tropical brought heavy rain to most of peninsular Florida the last half of September. Rivers and streams, particularly in the west central counties of Citrus, Polk, Hillsborough, Sarasota, Hardee, Desoto and Manatee Counties, overflowed, flooding roadways and inundating or isolating residential areas. The northeast and east central areas experienced urban flooding that closed roads and flooded schools and homes in Duval County and flooded subdivisions in Flagler, Volusia, St. Johns and Brevard Counties. In southern interior Florida, flooding of swampy areas around Lake Okeechobee damaged some roadways in Hendry County and isolated houses in Glades and western Palm Beach Counties. Flooding was also reported in Wakulla County in northwest Florida.
September 16-l7, l928 -- south Florida & Lake Okeechobee -- The 5th most intense land falling hurricane in U.S. history moved in from the Atlantic and across Lake Okeechobee's northern shore, sending a storm surge southward that flooded the low area south of the lake. At least 1836 migrant workers died in the flood, making this the second deadliest U.S. hurricane on record. In response to this storm, dikes were built around the lake to prevent future tragedies.
September l7, l947 -- south Florida -- A Hurricane moved in from the Atlantic over Palm Beach and Broward Cos. Hurricane force winds were experienced along the Florida East Coast from Cape Canaveral to Carysfort Reef Light (south of Miami), while winds of l00 mph or over, were felt from the northern portion of Miami to north of Palm Beach, or about 70 miles. A 1-minute maximum wind speed of 155 mph was recorded at the Pompano Beach light station (Hillsboro Light). Dozens of people were killed in this storm. It went on to hit the New Orleans area.
September 18, l926 -- Miami -- Hurricane - The storm waters of the Atlantic united with the waters of Biscayne Bay and the storm surge swept westward into the city of Miami early on the 18th. Maximum winds were l38 mph. About l8, 000 homes either completely demolished or had roofs torn off. Over 100 people killed in Miami area, about 5,000 injured. This hurricane then moved out into the Gulf of Mexico, passing just south of the Panhandle and affecting the Pensacola area on the 20th, before making final landfall between New Orleans and Mobile. Total death toll was over 240 people.
September 18-19,1941 -- north Florida -- A remarkable aurora borealis or "northern lights" was observed as far south as north Florida on the nights of 18th and 19th.
September l8, l954 -- St. Lucie Co., Ft Pierce -- Tornado carried a small home 200 ft and smashed it. Only the bathtub and plumbing fixtures were left on site. A couple was killed, and their son and a guest were injured.
September l9, l947 -- Franklin Co., Apalachicola -- A Tornado, spawned on the edge of a hurricane making landfall near New Orleans, destroyed 27 homes and damaged 3l, killing two people and injuring l00.
September 20, l937 - 2100 - St. Johns Co. - A Tornado, spawned by a tropical storm, destroyed a barn near St. Johns River.
September 20-23, l969 -- northwest Florida -- Flooding -- Heavy rain over several days brought extensive flooding to the Apalachicola river at Quincy, Havana, and Blounstown; and much of Franklin, Gadsden, Leon, Calhoun and Quincy Counties. Quincy reported 18.41" of rain, Havana 23.42", and Blountstown 10.41". Several funnel clouds and waterspouts were reported from northwest Florida to the Keys on the 22nd and 23rd.
September l9, l959 -- afternoon -- Alachua Co., High Springs - Lightning killed 53 hogs that took shelter under a tree in a pasture.
That’s the Time Capsule for this week. I hope you enjoyed it. As always for the latest in severe weather updates and tropical information, go to JOESDISCOWEATHERCENTRAL.COM. You can also join me every Saturday morning at the Stuart K Mart garden shop for a free cup of coffee and a free copy of The Hometown News!